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One upcoming car is hugely important for Britain
HARD to believe it is 2026, just three years until the war between man and machine in Terminator.
But here we are. And here are 26 new cars for the year ahead. Some with AI embedded in them. Some without.
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1. Volkswagen ID Polo – massive car for Volkswagen and our “one to watch” winner at the News UK Motor Awards. The regular ID Polo will cost £22k and there’s a hot 226hp ID Polo GTI on its way. VW chief Thomas Schafer promised: “ID Polo is a true Polo. The way it looks, the way it feels, the way it drives.”
2. Audi A2 e-tron – Audi’s smallest, and therefore cheapest, EV lands at the end of the year and references the old A2 of 1999-2005.
3. Audi RS 5 – the artist formerly known as the RS 4 Avant, returning in saloon and Avant estate forms with a V6 plug-in-hybrid. Audi will also launch a Range Rover-rivalling SUV called the Q9 in 2026.
4. BMW iX3 – very impressive electric SUV from the Germans. Every new Beemer will inherit the tech and design cues from this car – and not just electric cars, petrol hybrids too.
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5. BYD Sealion 5 – our Chinese entrant is the BYD Sealion 5, promising to be one of the most affordable plug-in hybrids going while providing a real-world range of 620 miles-plus.
6. Cupra Raval – Spanish, sporty and spicy. Cupra’s version of the Volkswagen ID Polo. They will be built side-by-side at the same factory in Spain.
7. Fiat 500 Ibrida – the Italians have popped a petrol engine into the previously electric-only 500 city car. Superb move.
8. Fiat Grande Panda – the boxy Eighties runabout rebooted for the 21st century and given a choice of hybrid and electric powertrains. Also great value, too.
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9. Ford Bronco E – a blocky, Kuga-sized EV due to be built in Valencia, Spain, and visually riffing off the US-only Bronco that we don’t get here.
10. Honda 0 SUV – Honda will begin a new era of vehicles that look like refugees from a Judge Dredd film, beginning with the 0 (zero) SUV at the tail end of the year.
11. Honda Prelude – and the Japanese company also looks to its past with a fun-to-drive coupe that brings back the Prelude badge after 25 years.
12. Hyundai Tucson – Korean firm Hyundai will make its big-selling Tucson SUV into a square-jawed hero like the bigger Santa Fe, midway through the coming year.
13. Jaguar 00 – it’s been a controversial rebrand by the Brit firm, and now chief designer Gerry McGovern has gone as well. We’ll see the real car midway through the year.
14. Jeep Compass – American 4×4 firm attempts to make its compact crossover more relevant for 2026, by pointing the Compass in a fully electrical direction.
15. Jeep Recon – if you fancy something more ‘true’ Jeep than the Compass, then how about the Recon? It’s basically an all-electric Wrangler.
16. Kia EV5 – Kia’s brilliant ‘EV’ family expands with an all-electric alternative to the Sportage, wearing edgy styling and the EV5 nameplate. Also watch out for the dinky EV2 coming this summer and the Seltos petrol SUV.
17. Land Rover Defender Sport – if you lament how pricey the Defender has got in its latest form, this newer, smaller version should make you happy.
18. Mazda CX-6e – Japanese firm Mazda attempts to up its EV game by bringing us a midsized SUV that runs purely on electric power.
19. Nissan Juke EV – hugely important car for Britain, to be built in Sunderland using the bones of the award-winning Leaf. Juke was previewed as the Hyper Punk concept in computer game Fortnite back in 2023.
20. Peugeot e-208 GTi – this should be good. No, better than that. This should be mega. Peugeot teased the 280hp electric hot hatch at Le Mans last year and it’ll hit the road this summer. ID Polo GTI v 208 GTi. Bring. It. On.
21. Porsche Boxster/Cayman EV – Porsche’s most affordable two sports cars are set to go fully electric in 2026 . . . although combustion models will still be provided too.
22. Renault Twingo – ultra-cute styling based on the original Twingo with a £17k price tag. Should do well.
23. Skoda Epiq – Skoda’s smallest EV is more of a crossover than a hatch but uses the same key parts as the entry-level EVs from VW and Cupra.
24. Toyota bZ4X Touring – weird estate-crossover-SUV mash-up. But we really like the look and uniqueness of it. All-electric and with decent range.
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25. Volkswagen ID Cross – the zero-emission alternative to the existing T-Cross, with a lush modern cabin and a 250-mile range. Also built alongside ID Polo, Raval and Epiq.
26. Volvo EX60 – Volvo’s all- electric revolution continues with a cutting-edge family SUV that sits between EX40 and the seven-seat EX90.
From the ID Polo to Volvo EX60 – 26 of the best new cars to look out for in 2026
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